Should College Athletes Be Paid?

[Whatever]

(10-05-2018, 03:01 PM)fredtoast Wrote: That is like saying slavery was not that bad because they all got free meals.  OSU gets over $20 million in TV money before they even count the money they make from tickets and concessions at the games.  Then there are million more to be made in bowl games.


Then why pay coaches millions of dollars per year?  The players are the ones who get broken bones and concussions.

Slavery?  Really?  I must have missed the scholarship football players being led off the stage in chains at my high school graduation.  If you feel that these kids are exploited to that degree, then I assume you have boycotted college athletics entirely.  If enough people do that, then the Universities will stop making crazy amounts of money, and by your logic, the athletes won't need to be paid.

If a player doesn't like the return, they don't have to participate in college athletics.  They can foot their own bill through college or get a job out of high school.  If they want to play a sport and make money, they can try out for the minors, the Globetrotters, And 1 videos, CFL, XFL, Arena League, semi pro ball, etc.

These kids reap a massive benefit. A 2017 Census study shows that people with a Bachelor's Degree earn $1.3 million more over their lives than people with just a high school diploma.  

Just because the college's make large amounts of money does not mean athletes should be compensated to a higher level, either.  McDonald's makes billions, but it will never be a middle class career for restaurant workers due to the fact that there a billions of people that can do that job.  They are easily replaceable.  College's have walk on athletes who are willing to do the "job" for nothing except the experience.  Until high school athletes decide to stop participating in college athletics in droves, there will be no impetus for change, and high school athletes are not going to turn down the opportunity because the rewards are too great.

Coaches are paid what they are because there are a lot fewer coaches capable of running a successful college program than there are athletes capable of competing in a major college program.  Simple supply and demand.

Everyone risks injury every day of their lives.  People risk injury and death doing recreational activities ranging from skateboarding to rock climbing that they aren't compensated at all for.  These kids get a free education and a huge leg up on life for doing something they enjoy.